kei4其

Jyutpingkei4

Yalekèih

代詞Very common

Definition

Its, his, her, or their; third-person possessive pronoun.

writtencommunication

How it's used

Unlike the spoken 佢嘅, 其 is strictly a formal, written-style pronoun that rarely appears in casual speech. It is almost exclusively found in set idioms or formal documents where it functions as a concise way to refer back to a previously mentioned noun. Using it in everyday conversation will sound unnatural and overly academic.

Examples

keoi5佢kei4其maau6貌bat1不joeng4揚，daan6但hai6係hou2好jau5有coi4才waa4華。

He has an unimposing appearance, but he is very talented.

ni1呢go3個gai3計waak6劃kap6及kei4其jing2影hoeng2響，daai6大gaa1家dou1都hou2好cing1清co2楚。

Everyone is very clear about this plan and its impact.

Common phrases

kei4其maau6貌bat1不joeng4揚

to have an unimposing appearance

gok3各zeon6盡kei4其zik1職

everyone performs their own duty

Common mistake

Learners often mistakenly use 其 as a direct replacement for 佢 in spoken Cantonese, but it lacks the personal, conversational feel of the latter. It is best reserved for formal writing or established four-character idioms.